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VICTORIAN FROSTED GLASSES

These acid etched glasses started becoming popular in the 1850s after manufacturer Richardsons perfected for the technique for created this frosted surface on glass. It's done with powerful acids and it's not a try this at home kind of thing, as you could burn your lungs out.

These glasses are something to watch. I have been collecting a long time and they have always been scarce, however, prices have inched up over time. I don't know if people have been collecting them, but the goblets have great table top presence and size wise are comparable with modern wine glasses.

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Glasses

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Description, References and Size

This is a frosted, round funnel bowled goblet with an inverted baluster stem with bubble inclusion that is panel cut, and star cut to the foot. Made circa 1850-70.

This is an elegant goblet where the shape of the bowl is looking back to the shapes of 100 years previous. It's plain design if close to the bottom end of the market for this type of glass.

Height: 7.25 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is a frosted goblet with a vermicular pattern, with a baluster stem that is panel cut and star cut to the foot. Made by Richardsons, circa 1854-70.

Richardsons registered this vermicular pattern in 1854, which kind of gives you a steady base date for this goblet. I have seen this pattern used on many things and I don't know if Richardson's "borrowed" it from elsewhere or if it was their own invention. If it was their own invention, then kudos to them, because it is used a lot now.

The other great thing is they created this process, they registered this design and I have two of their glasses, for real, not possibly made by someone else.

Reference: British Glass, Charles Hajdamach, page 113

Height: 6.75 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is a goblet with the frosted bulrush pattern on the bowl, slice cut baluster stem and star cut foot. Made by Whitefriars circa. 1855.

This pattern is in the Whitefriars 1855 pattern book, however, I have been advised this pattern was produced by other makers so there is no guarantee this glass was made by Whitefriars. It's in the pattern book, I can't find any other hard references, and this is good enough for me to say it's Whitefriars (for now).

Reference: Whitefriars Glass, James Powell & Sons of London, Wendy Evans, Page 252

Height: 6.25 inches

Width: 3.75 inches

This is a wine glass with the frosted bulrush pattern on the bowl, and slice cut stem. Made by Whitefriars circa. 1855.

If more than one company was making glasses with the same pattern, this glass and the one above are real candidates for being made by different companies. Whilst the pattern is the same these glasses don't belong in the service, for example this one doesn't have a star cut foot and the other one does. They might still be from the same company, but they might not, and with going through catalogues and finding the glass shapes produced we won't know.

Reference: Whitefriars Glass, James Powell & Sons of London, Wendy Evans, Page 252

Height: 4.25 inches

Width: 2.75 inches

This is a goblet with a frosted classical palmate pattern the bowl, with slice cut hollow knop and baluster stem and star cut foot. Made by Whitefriars circa.1855.

This is a more unusual pattern and I have been informed that is it most likely to be a Whitefriars. Stylistically this palmate pattern is looking back to the Regency period and might have been considered quite conservative/old fashioned by 1855, even if this acid etching technique was quite new.

I would like to thank Nigel Benson of http://www.20thcentury-glass.org.uk for advising me on this.

Reference: Whitefriars Glass, James Powell & Sons of London, Wendy Evans, Page 252

Height: 7.25 inches

Width: 3.25 inches

This is a frosted goblet with etched vertical divisions marked on the ogee bowl, and bobbin stem. circa.1850-70.

This is an unusual stem type in any period, but I've drunk out of this one and it's quite nice to use.

Height: 7.5 inches

Width: 3.25 inches

This is a frosted goblet with cut vertical divisions marked on the cup bowl, baluster stem that is panel cut, and star cut foot. circa.1850-70.

This is another relatively plain goblet and whilst it is nice it doesn't seem as luxurious as the first on in this sequence of glasses.

Height: 5.75 inches

Width: 3 inches

This is a Webb Richardson frosted goblet with cut with polished three-pointed arches on the bucket bowl with everted lip, inverted baluster stem with bubble inclusion that is panel cut, and star cut foot. circa.1850-70.

This is an unusual frosted goblet and if I must be frank it doesn't feel like a successful design to me. From the base of the stem it just gets wider as it goes up and then feels top heavy. This is only my opinion though.

I would like to thank Chris Parry for making me aware of this reference. The reference does give me a problem in that it says the catalogue page is from the 1830s, but the same book tells me this frosting technique didn't come in until the 1830s. I can only presume they carried on making this glass shape for time.

Reference: British Glass, Charles Hajdamach, page 49

Height: 7.25 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is a frosted goblet, cut with broad leaves on the bowl, baluster stem that is panel cut, and star cut foot. circa.1850-70.

This is a slightly more common pattern for frosted goblets and when I have seen it for sale it is usually attributed to Richardsons. Unfortunately I haven't seen any book references for it.

Height: 6.75 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is a frosted wine glass, cut with irregular sized leaves on the bowl, baluster stem that is panel cut, and star cut foot. circa.1850-70.

This is a less common pattern than the one above, but when I have seen it for sale it is also attributed to Richardsons. The same in that I haven't seen any book references for it.

Height: 5.25 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

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